Valencia prepares for 'La Tomatina'

 

With barely 48 hours to go before the start of the world-famous fiesta, preparations are underway for the 2012 'Tomatina', which is held in the streets of the Town of Buñol in the north of the region of Valencia.

Up to 50'000 participants from around the world often descend on the Town, which is usually only home to 9'000 residents, to take part in what is basically a giant food fight, and throw tonnes of tomatoes at each other.

The fiesta, which is held every year on the last Wednesday in August, usually lasts up to 1 hour and leaves the Town bathed in a bright red pulp of ripe tomatoes.

Buñol's town council usually bring in around 100 tonnes of ripe tomatoes on trucks for the revellers who descend on the town to take part in the event that has been taking place since the 1940's.

Sesoned regulars come kitted out with goggles and old clothes, some even shirtless, knowing that after the tomatoes have been thrown the council go through aengthy clean-up process, hosing down buildings and revellers with gallons of water.

During 2010 the Town spent €28'00 of their €70'000 budget for the fiesta on tomatoes alone, with the balance being spent on security, mobile toilets, cleaning services and civil protection. Despite pressure from the regional government for austerity, the expenditure is expected to be similar this year.